Saturday is the Hall of Fame game in Toronto and Monday is the induction of Mark Messier, Ron Francis, Scott Stevens, Al MacInnis and Jim Gregory to the Hall. That is all well and nice but I still cannot believe that the Hockey Hall of Fame has not put Team Canada 1972 and the 1980 United States Olympic hockey teams in the Hall of Fame. There was no greater moment in Canadian sports history than Team Canada’s triumph over the Soviet Union in 1972, and the same goes in 1980 for the United States when a bunch of college kids wearing the American jersey, beat the vaunted Soviet team, 4-3, almost two weeks after losing to the same squad 10-3 in an exhibition game at Madison Square Gardens. Both Game 8 of the 1972 series and the penultimate game of the 1980 Olympics have gone down as the greatest games ever in hockey history. The Basketball Hall of Fame got it right this year as the 1966 Texas Western team was voted into their Hall of Fame. Texas Western won the NCAA title (and was really made famous by the movie “Glory Road”) under head coach Don Haskins, who had the courage to start five blacks, at a time when playing more than two was considered something you just didn’t do in the Deep South. If basketball is smart enough to recognize the accomplishments and the importance of Texas Western’s season as a team, then surely hockey should be as smart as both victories brought their respective nations closer together. Hockey legends were created in both years and Paul Henderson and Mike Eruzione deserve to be in the Hall, along with all their teammates.

We are now at a time when hockey can use as much publicity as possible. Can you imagine if both teams went in together how much interest there would be in the United States. The NHL could have both teams play an exhibition game against each other and I know that Canadian and American television would definitely play it up big.

Come on Hall of Fame. Get it right.